Every Friday Roots in Alpharetta features an article on food and dining in a series called Foodie Friday.

So you want to open a restaurant. It’s a romantic idea at first, the notion that you could put together a beautiful space with a fabulous menu. Food writers would craft eloquent prose about your culinary creations and paste beautiful photographs in glossy magazines.

And while we’re day dreaming, let’s make this big! We don’t want a strip mall space next to a frozen yogurt shop or anything. Not a chance. Go big or go home, right? We’re talking free-standing building with cavernous space and sprawling patios.

Cue the record scratching sounds. Back to the real world of 2012 for a moment… No one is opening places like this. Today most new restaurants rarely exceed 2,000 square feet. However, if you do feel so inclined to open such a monster of a restaurant, there are options available! I’ve got three spaces ready to turn your dream into reality (or possibly bankrupt you).

45 Roswell Street

If you build it, he will come? Not exactly. This restaurant space was built about three years ago and no one came. It’s in the heart of what might someday become Alpharetta’s hip downtown restaurant scene. Pure Taqueria is a stone’s throw away. La Casa is across the street.

45 Roswell is 5,300 square feet of unfinished restaurant with a 1,400 square foot patio. It’s a beautiful building with nice landscaping and decent parking. Last year a film production company nearly purchased the building but the deal fell through. It’s a shame a thriving restaurant doesn’t live here.

Rainwater – 11655 Haynes Bridge Road

The grandaddy of all empty restaurant spaces in Alpharetta. The old Rainwater restaurant building has two floors, an elevator and measures in at over 20,000 square feet . The architecture is similar to that of a vineyard estate. It’s much more than a restaurant as this place was built for events like large wedding receptions. It’s been vacant for over three years.

Champps – 7955 North Point Parkway

When Champps opened here they spent $4.5 million on the real estate, buildout and fixtures. They’ve had the building on the market for a while now but about two weeks ago they closed up shop. If you’re interested in this joint you’ll find 9,000 square feet of restaurant space, a beautiful bar, 1,500 square feet of patio and an exceedingly large kitchen.

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3 Responses to “Big restaurant spaces”

Very sad about Rainwater. My wife and I got married there November 2007. We were looking forward to anniversary meals there for years to come. They closed about three months later. It was a great place. Bad location. Haynes be there is a no mans land. Let’s hope someone buys it so my wife and I can go back.